Dross sifter



Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNI-TED STATES Parnu 'r orner.

or. tor- The. Monomelt Company;V Incorporated, Minneapolis; Minn., a corporation of MinnesotaV Application' June 22', 1936; Serial No'. 86,614`

3 Claims.` (Cl. 209-324.)

This invention relates to a siftingI device and particularly' to` such av device for' sifting dross which is skimmed from the" top of molten metal, such as type metal.

C, In printing shops', particularly'those of larger size, there is a very considerable: accumulation of dross which is skimmed from' the top of the molten' type metal in the various melting pots for the type metal. It"v is al common practice to lo preserve this dross and place' it in a so-called dross drum' which is generally in the form of a comparatively-largeY cylinder. One very common form vof dross drum has a cylindrical open top with a flange projecting inwardly adjacent the l5 top, which flange is provided" forv supporting a cover placedk on thedrum when it is to be closed for shipment.

.When the dross is skimmed.' there is usually some type metal taken with it.' The dross proper is in the form ofv a fine powder'or will take this form by agitation; The drosscan be sifted from the metal with a proper apparatus.

It is an object of this invention tov provide a simple and efficient sifting device which may be used directly with the dross drum so that the sifted dross will pass into the drum and the type metal will be recovered.

It is a further object of' the' invention to provide a sifting device comprisinga member having a supporting means resting on top of" the dross drum and having a portion extendingv down into the dross drum, said member also having means at its inner side. for supporting a sifter which is oscillatable thereon, together with a cover for said member.

` t is another object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph together with an agitator movable over the bottom of said sifter, Which'agitator is operable 40 from the upper side of said cover.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a sifting device to be used with a dross drum comprising a member supported' on and extending a short distance into` the drum and having an opstanding wall, a sifter having' a foraminous bottom supported within said member and having a handle projecting through the wall of said member by which it can be oscillated, together with a cover for said member and an agitator movable over said bottom and operated by means at the outer side of said cover.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference charsereens adjacent wall headedland nuttedbolts I3`j extend through rims aoters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l' is a view of the device of this invention in central vertical section, the lower portion of a dross drum being shown in side elevation; and 5 Fig. 2 is a top plan View ofthe device shown in Fig.. l', certain parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawing, a container Ill, commonly known as a dross drum is shown, the same being cylindrical having an open upper end pro- 10 vided with beads Illa.l at its top and bottom. Said container hasa. pair of annular ribs Ib exten'ding thereabout to protect it in-handling and shipment and the samealso has'projecting inwardly from. its inner side and adjacent its top 15 a flange IDC..

The device of this .invention comprises a member. II havingla. cylindrical portion I Ia extending downwardly into container I0' and having an outwardly projecting annular flange IIb which rests on the top of container I0 and supports member II. Member II has a cylindrical portion lo extending upwardly fromflange I Ib. A ii'ange IId projects inwardly from the inner side of member II some distance abovethe bottom 25 thereof. Member II is open at its top and bottom and within iiange` IId. .A plurality of set screws I2 extend through portion IIa from the inner side thereof' andl engage the inner side of container I0to hold member II firmly in place o and" these set screws are disposed below flange IIl'c sothat member I Ifcannot be lifted from container I0`. A sftermember I3 is provided having a cylindrica1 wall' I3i7, and abottom annular rim |317:l projecting: inwardly at rightV angles to wall I3'a. at' thebottoml thereof. A screen I3o of coarse mesh and which is preferably made of steel is supported onl top of rim |311 and a fine mesh screen` I3dvoverlies and is supported on screen I3c. While screen I3d may be made of various metals, 40 in practice :it has rbeen found satisfactory to make this screenof brass. Screens I3c and I3d extend substantially to the wall I 3a and a rim I3e of small thickness extends about the edge of said I3a. Ak multiplicity of 45 |319 and I3e and through screens Isc and I3d, thus securing said parts rmly together. A handle I3@ is secured to the outer side of wall I3a in any suitable manner and projects radially 50 from wall I3a through a slot IIe in wall IIc. Said slot I Ie is disposed just above the flange IIb and extends for some distance about wall IIc, the same having a vertical portion at its center extending to the top of wall IIc. A cover I4 is 55 provided having a cylindrical portion i4a with a bead I4b at its bottom, said cover having a portion I4c extending upward slightly and having a hat top I4d. Said cover is preferably formed of sheet metal and has reinforcing bars I5 at its under side intersecting at the center thereof and secured thereto by headed and nutted bolts I 6. A bearing I I extends downwardly centrally from bars I5 and a shaft I8 is journaled in said bearing, the same passing through cover I4 and having a collar I8a thereon resting on top of cover I4. Above collar I8a shaft I8 is bent at a right angle to form a crank, the vertically extending end of which is provided with a handle v I9. Shaft I8 has secured to its lower end an agitator 20 having a central hub 20a, to which shaft I8 is secured and having a plurality of radially and angularly extending arms 20h, the same being shown as three in number. The lower edges of arms 20h are disposed in close proximity to the top of screen I3d. Cover I4 ts tightly over the top of member II.

In operation the dross with the particles of type metal therein is placed in the screen I3, cover I4 with the crank and agitator 20 being removed. It is best not to fill the sifter over half full. The cover is then replaced and the crank is given five or six revolutions by handle I9, thus operating the agitator 20. The agitator tends tn draw the cover I4 down tightly on member -I I. The material in the sifter is thus thoroughly agitated and the dross powder passes through the screens into container I0. The sifter can be oscillated or shaken several times by means of handle |39. This brings the material toward the center of the screen. Cover I4 can then again be removed and the sifterI3 lifted from member II and the type metal which is now left on the screens can be discharged into the place desired. In practice it takes only about ten minutes to run pounds of dross material through the sifter. The metal is thus quickly separated from the dross and a saving of from to 250 pounds of type metal is made on each 500 pound drum full of dross.

From the above description it will be seen that applicant has provided a very simple and eil'icient device for separating the dross powder from the type metal. The device is easily operated and the same effects a great saving in type metal. The device can be operated without any dust or dirt escaping into the room where it is located. The device is of rugged construction and very durable. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successiul and efiicient and is being commercially made.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sifting device for a dross drum, which drum has a cylindrical top and an inwardly projecting flange a short distance below said top having in combination, a member having a cylindrical portion constructed and arranged to fit into said drinn Within said flange and having an outwardly extending ange thereabout adapted to rest on top of said drum, said member having a second cylindrical portion extending upwardly from said flange and having a second flange Vextending inwardly therefrom, a sifter having a fiat screen, a cylindrical wall surrounding the same disposed Within said second cylindrical portion and terminating short of the top thereof and having a flange resting on said second flange for oscillation thereon, a handle secured to said sifter for oscillating the same and extending outwardly through a slot in said second cylindrical portion, an imperforate cover having a cylindrical wall fitting about said sec ond cylindrical portion, resting thereon and readily removable therefrom, said cover having a bearing centrally disposed in its top, a shaft extending through said bearing, a rotatable stirrer having a plurality of circumferentially spaced arms disposed within said sifter and above said screen thereof and carried on the lower end of said shaft and a crank handle secured to said shaft above said cover.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and means secured in said first mentioned cylindrical portion projecting outwardly therefrom below said ange o1" said drum to prevent vertical movement of said member relative to said drum.

3. A sifting device for a dross drum, which drum has an open cylindrical top having in combination, a cylindrical member having means extending outwardly therefrom intermediate its ends for engaging the top of said drum and supporting said member, the portion below said means extending into said drum, said member having means extending inwardly therefrom, a sifter comprising a at screen and, a cylindrical wall extending thereabout, said Wall being disposed within said member and having a flange resting on said last mentioned means for oscillation thereon, said member having a slot extending therethrough extending circumferentially thereof, a handle secured to said sifter and extending outwardly therefrom through said slot for oscillating said sifter, an imperforate cover having a cylindrical portion fitting over and supported on the top of said member, a bearing carried by said cover, a shaft journaled in said bearing, a stirrer secured to the lower end of said shaft and having a plurality of arms extending outwardly therefrom in circumferentially spaced relation' substantially to the edge of said screen and a handle secured to said shaft above said cover for rotating said shaft and stirrer whereby material in said sifter will be moved over substantially the whole area of said screen and may thus be efciently sifted by said screen when oscillated by said first mentioned handle.

LEONARD G. OLANDER, 

